Center Grove's Alex Lucas (foreground) ran for a team-high 152 yards on Nov. 2 to help lead the Trojans to a sectional championship with their 42-7 victory over Columbus North.

It's easy to get lost in the shuffle running in Center Grove's backfield. But last Friday, junior Alex Lucas clearly stood out.

In the sixth-ranked Trojans' 42-7 win against Columbus North in the sectional final, Lucas ran for a team-high 152 yards on just 13 carries, including a 57-yard touchdown. The timing couldn't have been better; a week earlier, Center Grove lost standout Logan Hutson (615 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on just 80 carries) for the season to a chipped bone in his ankle.

"Obviously when you're on a team and someone goes down, someone else needs to step up," Lucas said. "It felt really good to be able to do that."

Lucas' total on Nov. 2 gave him 526 yards this season -- fourth-best on the squad behind Hutson, Connor Stapleton (787 yards) and Lane Morris (696). Lucas is averaging 8.8 yards per carry for an offense that puts up 40.8 points and 323.9 rushing yards per game. And the Trojans (11-1) also have quarterback Luke Calvert (945 passing yards, 11 touchdowns) for good measure.

"It's really fun because it's such a balanced offense," Lucas said. "We don't have any one player defenses can concentrate on. We have multiple weapons."

Center Grove will host No. 3 Castle (12-0) at 8 p.m. Nov. 9 in the regional. Castle has won its three tournament games by 44, 35 and 21 points, but the Trojans' schedule already has included No. 2 Ben Davis, No. 5 Carmel and No. 12 Warren Central.

"We know they're a good team, but I think we'll be ready," Lucas said. "We've gotten better every week, and we do take everything week by week. But the main goal is winning state, and I think we have a good shot at that."

Steve B. Brooks, Star correspondent

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Athlete spotlight: Alex Lucas, Center Grove football

It's easy to get lost in the shuffle running in Center Grove's backfield. But last Friday, junior Alex Lucas clearly stood out.